contrivance vs machine

contrivance

noun
  • A (mechanical) device to perform a certain task. 

  • Something overly artful or artificial. 

  • A means, such as an elaborate plan or strategy, to accomplish a certain objective. 

machine

noun
  • A device that directs and controls energy, often in the form of movement or electricity, to produce a certain effect. 

  • A computer. 

  • A person or organisation that seemingly acts like a machine, being particularly efficient, single-minded, or unemotional. 

  • An answering machine or, by extension, voice mail. 

  • Supernatural agency in a poem, or a superhuman being introduced to perform some exploit. 

  • A contrivance in the Ancient Greek theatre for indicating a change of scene, by means of which a god might cross the stage or deliver a divine message; the deus ex machina. 

  • The system of special interest groups that supports a political party, especially in urban areas. 

  • Especially, the group that controls a political or similar organization; a combination of persons acting together for a common purpose, with the agencies which they use. 

verb
  • To make by machinery. 

  • To shape or finish by machinery; (usually, more specifically) to shape subtractively by metal-cutting with machine-controlled toolpaths. 

How often have the words contrivance and machine occurred in a corpus of books? (source: Google Ngram Viewer )